Cyprus was among the countries which Israel asked for help to combat wildfires raging near Jerusalem on Wednesday evening, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar confirmed.

Sa’ar wrote in a post on social media that he had “held a series of phone calls with my counterparts from Argentina, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Croatia, Greece, Cyprus, Azerbaijan, and North Macedonia, to request assistance in dealing with the wildfires near Jerusalem”.

“I thank all those countries which already promised assistance to fight the blaze and to those currently looking into our requests with great will to help. Israel is fortunate to have true friends who stand by her in times of need,” he added.

The country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has, according to Israel’s Tazpit Press Service, ordered its national security council to cooperate with its national security ministry and its foreign ministry to “lead an international assistance effort for firefighting aircraft”.

Later on Wednesday night, the Cyprus News Agency reported that the Cypriot authorities gave a “positive response” to the request.

The agency said it had been informed by sources that “an assessment of Cyprus’ capabilities was carried out”, and that the Cypriot authorities are now awaiting information from Israel on the exact needs.

Reuters reported on Wednesday evening that the fires were “raging on the outskirts of Jerusalem”, with one main highway being closed and local communities being evacuated.

Television footage showed fires burning along the “Route 1” highway, which links Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, with motorists abandoning their vehicles and running away from the flames.

The Israeli fire brigade’s Jerusalem district commander Shmulik Friedman said the fire may be the “largest there has ever been” in the area and added that “we are far away from having control”.

He also warned that with winds set to pick up through Wednesday evening, the fires may yet spread further.

Asked about the potential cause of the fire, he said, “we have absolutely no clue, and we are not yet dealing with this”.

Israeli newspaper The Times of Israel reported that domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet has been involved with investigations into the fire, with the possibility of arson being investigated.

The newspaper also reported that a 50-year-old resident of Umm Tuba, a Palestinian neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem, has been arrested on suspicion of “helping ignite the fires”.

The Israeli police reportedly “received a tip-off that someone had seen a person attempting to set fire to vegetation in southern Jerusalem”.

The man was arrested following “a brief pursuit”, with the Israeli police saying they found a lighter, cotton wool, and other flammable materials on the man’s person.

Meanwhile, Israel’s national emergency and disaster service Magen David Adom said that “at least 13 people” have been admitted to local medical centres as a result of the fires.

Most of the injuries, the service said, were related to smoke inhalation and burns. A further ten people were treated by paramedics but were not hospitalised.